SLIDER

January 30, 2018

Winter's here but I'm still obsessed with earthy, warm tones! All of the makeup shades I picked up from Nu Evolution Cosmetics are making my soul oh so happy (neutrals are my bffs!). I started playing around with all of the organic eyeshadows, lipsticks, and lip glosses back in the summer but found myself reaching for them even more frequently once the seasons shifted.

Unlike other natural pressed eyeshadows I've tried, this formula is quite dry but still smooth. When I dip my brush into the shadow or apply onto my eyes, there's minimal fall out. Bonus: it doesn't crack when I throw it in my bag!

Out of all three shades, Chic is my favorite because it doubles as an eyeliner for me—I just dip an angled brush in water and apply. I also think Chic is far more pigmented and smooth than Versailles and St. Tropez.

Eyeshadows pictured from left to right: Chic: a warm copper with micro shimmerVersailles: an apricot champagne with micro shimmerSt. Tropez: a dusty rose champagne with micro shimmer

Next, we have the extremely pigmented lipsticks infused with nourishing oils like castor oil, sunflower seed oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter. Each lipstick retails for $30. They color pay off is really impressive, however, I prefer to wear my lipsticks on the sheer side.

These dry to a satiny cream finish and last a good amount of hours before fading. I'm also glad that it doesn't have a nasty scent to it!

This buttery smooth lipgloss feels like a cushiony dream. It's formulated with moisturizing ingredients like acai oil, argan oil, and shea butter and retails for $15. Peachy Nude is a sheer and warm-toned coral shade with very minimal shimmer. Although it's sheer, I can easily build up the coverage by applying more and it doesn't look streaky!

It doesn't feel sticky or heavy and lasts for a few hours without eating. It does have a light vanilla scent but it fades away after a few minutes.

If you haven't tried the eyeshadows from HAN yet, you're really missing out. Their formulas are by far the best I've found in green beauty. Not only are they pigmented, they're smooth, buttery, and shatter resistant. Each pressed shadow retails for $15. So far I've tried a total of 4 shades (shimmer and matte) and all of them are equally pigmented and buttery.

Romance is a shimmery rose gold shade. It looks like Sunset, a peachy champagne shade (AKA my most-used eyeshadow) but Romance is a lot cooler in tone.

Now onto the makeup look:
- I applied Golden Glow all over the lids, lower lash line, and inner corners
- Then I used a little bit of Romance on the lower lash line
- With a wet angled brush, I used Mystery, a deep chocolate brown, to line my eyes and create a slight cat-eye flick
- Lastly, I used a generous amount of the Peachy Nude Lipgloss on the lips

November 28, 2017

A few months ago, I picked up two things I was really needed that were missing in my makeup collection: a natural eyeshadow primer and a translucent finishing powder with sunscreen. I did not fulfill my search for an exceptional, natural, long-lasting eyeshadow primer so I decided to give the Ilia Eye Primer a try. I also picked up the travel-friendly Ilia Moondance SPF 20 Powder. I gave both a good test so continue below for the full review!

Ilia Natural Brightening Eye Primer in On & On
This eye primer claims to instantly brighten, intensify color, hydrate and depuff with a feather-light formula that won't crease. It comes in a lip-gloss-looking tube and can be applied directly onto the lids with the doe-foot applicator. Although the eye primer looks like a shimmery ivory shade, it leaves a clear, semi-matte finish without a trace of shimmer once applied and blended. Retails for $24.

I have extremely oily eyelids and watery eyes so it's a challenge to prevent my eyeshadows from creasing and my eyeliner from fading and smudging.

Stings my eyes in the first couple of uses—it doesn't irritate my eyes anymore but I thought it was strange that it stung my eyes when I first used it...

My eyeshadows still crease by the 8th hour

It will be hard to retrieve the last bits of product since it's in a lip-gloss-looking tube versus a squeeze tube

Ilia Moondance SPF 20 Powder

This portable, travel-friendly powder protects the skin from harmful UV rays and controls excess shine. It claims to leave a hint of luminosity to the skin, as well. The compact powder comes attached with a super soft, magnetic brush to dispense and blend the powder. There's also an option to 'open', 'close', and 'buff' which makes it convenient to touch up on the go. Retails for $34.

Convenient and easy to use—I also like to use it on my ears, behind my neck, and on my arms

Makes retouching with SPF a breeze

The brush is magnetic and detachable so you can wash it

The brush is really soft and high quality

The 'buff' option is useful since it prevents additional product from dispensing onto the brush

Leaves a semi-matte finish without any shimmer

Does not dry out the skin or accentuate flakes

Cons

It only dispenses product in the center of the brush

Sometimes I have to apply the powder onto the back of my hand first to get the product moving

Does not control extremely oily skin very well—reapplication is a must if you want a shine-free face

At the end of the day, the question comes down to this: would I repurchase these products? It's hard to find a product that does it all but I would gladly repurchase both the Eye Primer and Moondance SPF 20 Powder. Have you tried any of these? I'd love to hear how they work for you!

P.S. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I'm really grateful for everything and everyone—including you.

November 21, 2017

Autumn's officially here in LA but to be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about it! I'm not a huge fan of the shorter days—the sun sets between 4-5pm which means it's dark outside before I leave work. However, I am enjoying the cooler, foggy weather and the fact that I cozy up in my sweater without breaking a sweat. It's also nice to see the foliage transition into warmer tones. The red, brown, and orange autumn color palette inspired me to switch up my neutral makeup look to something more earthy and spicy.

Foundation
I always start off with my good ol' trusty Vapour Atmosphere Luminous Foundation I use the shade 115, however, I did get tanner from kayaking in New Zealand a month ago so this shade is a bit light for me right now.

I use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to pick up product from the stick foundation itself. Then, starting from the center of my face, I gently buff and blend. I repeat this on areas that need more coverage but avoid putting on too much product on the outer parts of my face—I want my foundation to look natural.

You can read my full review about the Vapour Atmosphere Luminous Foundation here.

The application process of the new Au Naturale Powder Blushes are quite interesting: the loose powder comes in a pump dispenser. I've heard mixed reviews about the pump but I personally think it's handy! I spritz the product onto my fluffy blush brush, tap off the excess product onto the back of my hand, and tap and blend onto my cheeks.

Although not completely mess-free, the pump creates an easier application since you can control how much product to dispense. It's also travel friendly and won't spill everywhere compared to conventional loose powder packaging. I'm a fan!

Eye Primer
If I'm ever wearing eyeshadow or eyeliner, I NEED to prep my eyelids with some eyeshadow primer. I have extremely oily and watery eyes. On top of that, I have double eyelids with a good amount of fine lines—it looks like ripples in the ocean? What I'm saying is that there's a lot of room for creasing for me so I won't take any chances.

I've been testing out the Erin's Faces Eye Primer* for the past month. I like that it contains a bit of tint to brighten and fade any darkness and veins. It dries down rather quickly and leaves a matte, clean base for the eyeshadows. If you have dry skin, this primer can accentuate and cling onto the dry patches—this happened to me when I was in Apollo Bay, Australia and forgot to properly moisturize the night before. Overall, this keeps the shadow in place for most of the day. I still experience creasing and fading which I expected from a more natural eyeshadow primer.

Eyeshadows + Liner
It's time to bust out the warm, autumn inspired colors!

With a flat eyeshadow brush, I apply Han Skin Care Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Sunset all over the lids. Sunset is, hands down, my all-time favorite eyeshadow! Nourishing ingredients like shea butter, argan oil, and acai oil make the formula glide on like butter. Sunset is a warm, peachy champagne shade with pretty micro shimmers. I also apply this on my lower lash line to brighten up the eyes.

Next, I add some depth to the outer portion of my crease with Silk Naturals' Brandy Eyeshadow—a matte rosy mauve shade. The images on their website look more like a burnt, bright orange but it's actually a muted, rose shade.

Then I dip a flat angled brush in some water to pick up the Nu Evolution Eyeshadow in Chic*. Chic is a shimmery copper shade that reminds me oh so much of fall. I use this eyeshadow, wet, as my eyeliner! Lately, this has been my favorite, quick and easy way to define my eyes. Also, this shade combined with the Sunset eyeshadow makes my dark brown eyes pop during the daytime.

Brows
I quickly fill in my brows the the Kimiko Super Fine Eyebrow Pencil Automatique in Black Tea (not pictured). I create thin, hair-like strokes following the direction of my brow's natural growth. I brush and brush again with the spoolie on the other end to prevent my brows from looking harsh.

Lipstick
Okay! One last step: lipstick. To finish off the look, I chose Nu Evolution's Lipstick in Fierce, a beautiful, deep brownish red shade from Nu Evolution because it just screams autumn! I apply a sheer layer and blend it out with my fingers for a more wearable look. Then I build up the opacity by applying more product in the center of my lips to create a Korean-inspired gradient effect.

Thanks for reading! Do you change up your makeup choices during autumn? Or is that just me?

November 18, 2017

Hello, hello! I recently went to Australia and New Zealand for two weeks and wanted to share the travel-friendly skincare products I brought on the trip. Weather forecast: cold, slight chance of rain and winds, and a lot of sunshine! The spring season didn't alter what I included in my travel skincare kit—I've been using the same products for the past few months and my sensitive skin has been loving it! So technically this is my everyday, minimalist skincare routine. ;)

Cleanser
I remove my eye and brow makeup with a few drops of the Pai BioRegenerate Rosehip Oil on a cotton pad. I love how the oil nourishes my thin lash and brow hairs!

The Rose Clay Mask exfoliates, cleanses, and calms redness without drying out my skin. It also smells heavenly! This concoction removes all traces of my foundation and face makeup and leaves my skin feeling soft and balanced. I highly recommend cleansing with clay masks if you have sensitive skin!

Toner
After cleansing, I spritz a generous amount of the Lake & Skye Rose Floral Water*. I'm a huge fan of rose waters because one, they smell amazing, and two, they don't cause my skin to breakout! Rose water is also great at keeping the skin hydrated.

Moisturizer
While my skin is still damp from applying toner, I add 2-3 drops of the Pai BioRegernate Rosehip Oil to seal in the moisture. If my skin isn't damp, I'll spritz some rose water onto the palms of my hand and mix it with the rosehip oil. This helps the oil to penetrate into the skin more effectively! Then I press the oil onto my skin and hold for a few seconds to allow the product to fully absorb.

Before using the Pai BioRegenerate Rosehip Oil, I was using hemp seed oil as a moisturizer. Unfortunately, hemp seed oil goes rancid rather quickly and requires refrigeration which is why I stopped using it. But it all worked out because I found something better for my skin! I seriously LOVE this rosehip oil: it moisturizes without being too oily, calms down my breakouts, and smooths out my skin texture.

Sunscreen
Being outdoors for majority of the day means exposure to tons of sunshine. I use the Kari Gran Three Sixty Five SPF 28 Sunscreen* every morning to protect my skin from the UV rays. It leaves a beautiful, dewy sheen and acts like a makeup primer. My makeup looks even better when I use this stuff underneath!

This is the only sunscreen that works well with my sensitive, acne-prone skin. It doesn't contain any pore-clogging coconut-derived ingredients or any highly oleic oils—it's definitely a keeper!

Body Wash
I know we're talking about skincare but I wanted to include this Organic Body Wash by Dr. Alkaitis* because it's in a cute, little bottle! It contains aloe vera gel to help soothe and soften the skin.

My skin was well behaved throughout the trip thanks to the amazing weather and to these skincare items! All of these fit nicely and securely in my Away Mini Suitcase*.

September 27, 2017

Nowadays, I only wear eyeliner for when I want to feel exceptionally put together. I gravitate towards liquid eyeliner since they tend to last the longest on my oily eyelids and watery eyes—plus, they tend to be easier to apply!

Seraphine Botanicals kindly sent over their Liquid Coal Waterproof Eyeliner for me to try. The black liner retails for $22 and features a felt-tip applicator. I was especially interested in this eyeliner because of its waterproof claims and its "Rubberflex" nib applicator to create thin, precise lines without any tugging.

After testing it for a few months during the summertime, here are my final thoughts!

Pros

Very pigmented and black

Felt-tip applicator is thin but can create fine or dramatic lines and fills gaps between the lashes without a problem

Easy to apply—even for beginniners

Leaves a semi-matte finish

Doesn't irritate the eyes

Cons

Lasted quite a while on my oily, watery eyes with primer underneath but started to smudge at the end of the end

Will fade easily if you rub your eyes

Overall, I am impressed with the application and ease of use of the Seraphine Botanicals Liquid Coal Waterproof Eyeliner! Although it didn't last all day for me, I still find myself reaching for it when I want to get dolled up for an outing. If you have normal or dry skin, I think this will last a really long time on your eyes and recommend you to give it a try!

September 18, 2017

Hello! Summer is coming to an end and I'm having mixed emotions about it—I'm definitely going to miss the sunshine but not the crazy hot temperatures. My latest summer skincare obsession has been facial mists. I never knew how much I loved them until recently and it's all thanks to the heat and my desire to keep my skin feeling fresh.

If you read my August Favorites post, then you know that I really enjoyed the Rose Geranium Toner from Hollybeth Organics. I also tried out their Lavender Mist, which retails for $22, and fell in love with it! It's made of 100% USDA certified organic lavender flower distillate and can be used on the face, body, and hair. You can also use it to freshen up the air, clothing, or fabrics.

Lavender has great antibacterial properties which makes it perfect for treating blemishes and healing minor cuts and rashes. It also calms irritation and redness. I personally love the grounding scent of lavender—it really helps destress my mind.

Although this mist has a wide variety of functions, I use it as a facial toner and makeup setting spray. Luckily, this nozzle is able to create a very fine mist unlike most mists.

Here are some of the reasons why I love the Hollybeth Organics Lavender Mist:

Calms down redness

Reduces my angry breakouts

Makes my skin look radiant and glowy

Hydrates and leaves my skin feeling supple

Sets makeup and leaves a dewy finish even if I use a heavy amount of mineral powder foundation

HELLO

Hello, I'm Linda and welcome to my green beauty journey! I'm here to to show you that natural, non-toxic, and organic products can be beautiful and effective. I hope I can inspire you to swap your toxic, conventional items for a cleaner alternative!